Ventilated flour-barbel



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

THOMAS PEARSALL, OF SMITI-IBORO, `YEW YORK.

VENTILATED FLOUR-BARREL.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,200, dated June 27, 1854.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it kno-wn that I, THOMAS PEAESALL, of Smithboro, in the county of Tioga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Method of Preserving Flour, Meal, &c.,

. and Preventing Such Commodities from Heating in the Cask; and I do hereby declare 1the. following to be -a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to letters of reference marked thereon, and in which- Figure l represents a flour barrel or Cask; Fig. 2, a tube to be inserted longitudinally in such Cask.

It is well known to scientific as well as practical men that allcommodities containing in themselves the constituents necessary to produce fermentation will, when closely packed in bulks of sufficient size to prevent the air from penetrating them, sooner or later generate heat at the center, which gradually diffuses itself through the mass; hence the enormous quantitv -of flour and meal, &c., spoiled in transportation `and storing. It is also well known that decomposition invariably commences at the center of the bulk owing to the increased pressure there and toits being farther removed from the refrigerating influence of the atmosphere. It is a common occurrence on opening a barrel of flour to find it perfectly sweet and good at top,bottom, and around theoutside of the bulk, while at the center it will be both hot and sour. Vhile this is common in bulks of `the size of a flour barrel it is rare in a half barrel and I never saw o-r heard ofa packed bulk of the siZe of a quarter barrel injuring in the smallest degree from` fermentation or decay in twenty five years practical experience. On

this theory my invention is based and to remedy this evil I insert a tube or tubes longitudinally through the caskin which such commodity is to be packed for the free circulation of air therethrough, so that the center of the cask` is no longerthe center of the mass, and in proportion as you increase the `diameter of the pipe you increase the number of centers in the bulk, thus mathematically dividing the'mass into as many parts as required, which is equivalent to dividing the mass into as many smaller packages.

In the accompanying drawing (A) represents afiour barrel with holes B) in each end in the center of the heads (A) to receive the tube (B), Fig. 2. In filling the cask the head (A) is taken ont, and the tube (B) inserted in the hole in the lower head of the cask, the desired quantity of flour or `meal is packed therein and the upper head (A) is put into the cask again, the tube (B) protruding through the holes in each end of the cask, about half an inch, more or less, which is to be hammered down, forming a flange on the heads. Thus the air can circulate freely through the center of the bulk and its liability to heat is entirely obviated, and at the same time the cask is materially strengthened. Then `larger casks are used several tubes may be inserted in the same manner if found necessary. These tubes may be made of iron tin wood or any other suitable material, porous, perforated, or otherwise.

IWhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The manner herein described of preventing fermentation o-f Hour, meal, or other vegetable commodity by dividing the bulk as specified, that is to say, by means of air pipes or passages arranged to run through the cask substantially as herein set forth, and whereby the 'flour is prevented from heating and becoming sour at the center `of the cask by the free circulation o-f the cold atmosphere or air through said tube.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this first yday of March,

\ y THOS. FEARS-ALL. Witnesses:

IRA REYNOLDS, WM. M. SMITH. 

